Apparatus for manufacturing antifriction bearings



March 23, 1965 A. R. MOCLOSKEY 3,174,213

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING ANTIFRICTION BEARINGS Original Filed Jan. 26. 1960 INVEN @QBERT R. MCCL EY HTTORNE VS United States Patent O 3,174,213 APPARATUS FGR MANUFACTURING ANTE- FRICTIQN BEARINGS Ebert R. McClosirey, Fairfield, Conn, assignor, byanesne assignments, to SKF Industries, Inc, Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Delaware Uriginal application Jan. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 4,683, new

Patent No. 3,109,223, dated Nov. 5, 1963. Divided and this application Jan. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 251,945

tllaims. (Cl. 29-201) My invention relates to antifriction bearings, and more particularly to bearings having two ring-like members in telescoped relation with a full complement of rolling elements between them having solid, unbroken machined outer and inner raceways and deep, burnished grooves. In bearings of this type, where it is essential to maintain close running tolerances between the parts, a burnishing operation is required to remove any irregularities or pits in the raceways introduced during fabrication or resulting from imperfections in the raw material. The present application is a division of my United States patent application Serial No. 4,683, filed January 26, 1960, now Patent No. 3,169,223 granted November 5, 1963.

In my United States patent application Serial No. 612,679, filed September 26, 1956, now Patent No. 2,929,131 granted March 22, 1960 of which the present application is a continuation-in-part, I have shown that such bearings can be made by (1) diminishing the space between the members by plastically deforming one of them and (2) burnishing the raceways of the members by rotating one of the members with respect to the other member during at least a part of the step of diminishing the space between them; and in that application I have described in detail a preferred embodiment of apparatus and a process for performing that operation. The method of diminishing the space between the members disclosed in my previous application was by increasing the size of an undersized inner member by passing a tapered punch through it. I now describe below a preferred embodiment of additional apparatus and an additional method for performing the operation which are preferable to those described in the earlier application in certain circumstances.

The single drawing shows a sectional view of the apparatus. It includes a hollow mount pin 1 rotatably disposed on a thrust bearing 3 within a die shoe 2. Vertical movement of the mount pin 1 is prevented by a set screw 4 which rides in a groove 5 in the lower portion of the mount pin. The hollow mount pin 1 has a central expansible member 6. The apparatus described thus far is designed to support the parts of an unfinished bearing 7, with an inner member 8 being supported on the member 6 and an oversized outer member 9 being supported on the pin 1. Both members 8 and 9 have raceways in their adjoining walls and a full complement of rolling elements between them. The upper end of the member 6 is split as at 11, to perm-it expansion. This expansion, the purpose of which is to hold tightly the inner member 8, is accomplished by the action of a central taper pin 12 whose vertical movement may be controlled in any desired manner (not shown). The central member 6 is stepped at 13 to seat the inner member 8 of the bearing and maintain it in the proper spaced relationship with respect to the other bearing components during the contracting operation. The central member 6 is adapted for independent rotation within the mount pin 1. The lower end of the member 6 is fitted with a V belt pulley 14 driven by a belt 15. The pulley is equipped with a thrust bearing 16. The upper end of the mount pin 1 is so designed that it supports only the outer member 9 of the bearing.

3,174,213 Patented Mar. 23, 1965 'ice Above the part of the apparatus already described a swaging die 17 is rotatably mounted within a chuck member 18. The chuck member 18 is adapted to be seated in a hydraulic press not illustrated. Between the die 17 and the chuck 18 is a vertical thrust bearing 19. Groove 20 in the shank of the die 17 is adapted to receive the rounded end of a set screw 21 mounted in the body of the chuck member 18. The die 17 has a circumferential groove 25 to receive V belt 26 by which rotational energy from a source, not shown, is imparted to the die 17. The die 17 has a central tapered cavity 22 which converges inwardly into a cylindrical axial cavity 22a. The cavity 22a extends beyond the die member into the chuck member 18. The chuck member 18 has a tapered opening 23 in one side, communicating with internal cavity 22a, and a tapered cylindrical plunger 24 which is axially adjustable within the upper portion of the internal cavity 22a.

The operation of the above described bearing fabrication device is as follows:

The unfinished pre-assembled bearing assembly 7, the outer member of which is of ductile metal, is placed on the central expansible member 6 and mount pin 1 when the die 17 is in the raised position. The taper pin is then elevated either automatically or manually by a mechanism not illustrated, to expand the upper end of the member 6 and lock the inner member 8 to the member 6. Rotational energy is then imparted to the belts 15 and 26 in such a direction that the rotating members are driven in opposite directions.

The downward thrust of the hydraulic press is then initiated. As the die member 17 descends, the upper edge of the oversized outer member 9 enters the cavity 22. Application of hydraulic pressure to the die 17 forces the deformable member 9 into the cavity 22 where the member 9 is gradually reduced in diameter to a final predetermined size, dictated by the dimension of the cylindrical portion of the die 22a. Fabrication of the first bearing is complete as it is forced into the cylindrical cavity 22a. The succeeding bearing to be fabricated pushes the first bearing further up into cavity 22a. As this action is repeated, completed bearings, stacked in cavity 22a, move axially towards the opening 23 in the side of the chuck member 18, from which they are discharged. The vertically adjustable tapered member 24 ejects any completed bearings having a tendency to stick in the cavity 22a.

As the outer member 9 of the bearing is gradually diminished in size by the action of the die 17, the die transmits radial force to the outer member and through it and the rolling elements 10 to the race portion of the inner member 8. The combined action of the counter rotation of the inner and outer members and the radial force imparted by the die through the rolling elements 10 burnishes the respective grooves and removes any surface irregularities in the races, and provides the proper running tolerances in the final hearing.

I have found that suitable bearings result if only one of the bearing members is rotated while the other is held stationary during the swaging step. However, I find that the assembly and burnishing time may be minimized when the bearing members are both rotated in opposite directions and this is the preferred embodiment of my invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for making antifriction bearings of the type having a ring-like outer member of ductile material with a raceway in its inner surface interlocked with a ring-like inner member having a raceway in its outer surface with a complement of rolling elements between the members in said raceways, comprising a die shoe, a mount pin connected to the die shoe and rotatable with respect to the die shoe to support an oversized outer member, an expansible holding member rotatably disposed centrally in said mount pin and which is movable radially outward without axial movement to hold said inner member and a rotatable die having a conical opening disposed for movement toward and away from said mount pin in axial alignment therewith whereby said oversized outer member may be contracted into interlocking relationship with the inner member and said rolling elements by passing it through the conical opening of the die and whereby the members may be burnished during the contraction by rotating the die and holding member in opposite directions.

2. A support fixture to support antifriotion bearing assemblies of the type having an outer ring-like member with an annular raceway on its inner surface and an inner ring-like member with an annular raceway on its outer surface and rolling elements in said raceways, comprising a die shoe, a holder for the outer member, said holder being mounted on the die shoe, a tubular member rotatable with respect to said holder and having an expansible end portion, a rod member slidably disposed within said tubular member having a tapered end portion to expand the end portion of said tubular member, and means for rotating said tubular member, whereby said tubular member supports and grips the inner member of said bearing for rotation thereof.

3. Apparatus for fabricating an antifriction bearing of the type having an outer ring-like member with a raceway on its inner surface and an inner ring-like member with a raceway on its outer surface with balls in said raceways comprising a die shoe, a hollow mount pin rotatably disposed within said die shoe to support an oversized outer member and a rotatable reducing die disposed for movement towards and away from said mount pin in axial alignment therewith whereby said oversized outer member may be rotated as it is contracted by the movement of the die.

4. Apparatus as set forth in claim 3 in which a holding member to hold the said inner member is mounted centrally within the said mount pin and is rotatable with respect to the said pin and also comprising means for rotating said holding member and said mount pin in opposite directions.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4 in which the said holding member is expandable.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,913,810 Heim Nov. 24, 1959 2,929,131 McCloskey Mar. 22, 1960 3,088,190 Heim May 7, 1963 

1. APPARATUS FOR MAKING ANTIFRICTION BEARINGS OF THE TYPE HAVING A RING-LIKE OUTER MEMBER OF DUCTILE MATERIAL WITH A RACEWAY IN ITS INNER SURFACE INTERLOCKED WITH A RING-LIKE INNER MEMBER HAVING A RACEWAY IN ITS OUTER SURFACE WITH A COMPLEMENT OF ROLLING ELEMENTS BETWEEN THE MEMBERS IN SAID RACEWAYS, COMPRISING A DIE SHOE, A MOUNT PIN CONNECTED TO THE DIE SHOE AND ROTATABLE WITH RESPECT TO THE DIE SHOE TO SUPPORT AN OVERSIZED OUTER MEMBER, AN EXPANSIBLE HOLDING MEMBER ROTATABLY DISPOSED CENTRALLY IN SAID MOUNT PIN AND WHICH IS MOVABLE RADIALLY OUTWARD WITHOUT AXIAL MOVEMENT TO HOLD SAID INNER MEMBER AND A ROTATABLE DIE HAVING A CONICAL OPENING DISPOSED FORL MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM SAID MOUNT PIN IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT THEREWITH WHEREBY SAID OVERSIZED OUTER MEM- 